Florida moves to label groups 'terrorists' – civil liberties at risk?
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday granting the state unprecedented power to designate groups, including religious and political organizations, as “domestic terrorists.” The move, framed as a protective measure against foreign influence, has ignited a firestorm of criticism from civil rights groups and legal experts, raising serious questions about due process and the potential for abuse.
Expanding state power: a controversial shift
The legislation (HB 1471) effectively codifies DeSantis's December 2025 executive order, which controversially labeled the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations. Now, the state’s chief of domestic security, currently Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass, can unilaterally designate both domestic and foreign groups—subject to approval from the governor and Cabinet—triggering a cascade of consequences.
DeSantis, during the signing ceremony at the University of South Florida, asserted the law represents “the strongest action Florida has ever taken to protect its people from this influence,” encompassing areas of finance, Politics, and culture. The announcement, however, largely sidestepped the legal challenges and civil liberties concerns already swirling around the order and now the law.
But here's the detail that's causing alarm: The bill also prohibits Florida courts and other adjudicatory bodies from enforcing provisions of foreign or religious law, explicitly targeting Sharia law. DeSantis, acknowledging Sharia law isn’t currently practiced in Florida courts, insisted the measure is preventative, citing concerns about its potential spread—a comparison, he noted, to what he perceives as a failing assimilation model in Europe.
Dissent silenced? concerns over free speech and due process
CAIR-Florida’s Executive Director, Hiba Rahim, swiftly condemned the legislation, characterizing it as a politically motivated attack.